The 3 Sheffield Wednesday players who could attract serious transfer interest this summer

It is a big summer for Sheffield Wednesday after they secured Championship survival.

The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to the season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety after a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl.

Wednesday were one of the form teams in the division in the second half of the season, and a six-game unbeaten run, including three victories in their last three games, ensured they will remain in the second tier.

With the season now concluded, the Owls will lose their influential loanees, including the likes of James Beadle, Ian Poveda and Ike Ugbo, while they have 19 players out of contract, meaning a big rebuild could be on the cards this summer.

Some of Wednesday’s most influential players, such as Liam Palmer, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass, are among those out of contract, and Rohl will be desperate to keep hold of his stars.

The Owls will need to move quickly to tie down their out of contract players to new deals as they could receive offers from elsewhere, and it is likely that some of those who remain under contract at Hillsborough will also attract interest.

With that in mind, we looked at some of the Wednesday players that could be on the radar of other clubs this summer.

Winger Anthony Musaba was seen as an exciting signing for the Owls when he joined on a free transfer from Monaco in August, and he enjoyed an excellent debut season at the club.

Musaba took time to settle at Hillsborough, but he was far from the only player to struggle at the start of the season under Munoz, and he has improved significantly since Rohl’s arrival in October.

The 23-year-old was Wednesday’s top scorer this season, scoring eight goals in 48 appearances in all competitions, while he also provided five assists, and he played a crucial role in the club’s survival, putting in outstanding performances in the wins over Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion at the end of the campaign.

Musaba is a player with huge potential and his impressive displays this season will not have gone unnoticed.

The Dutchman’s pace, creativity, and goalscoring ability make him a huge asset, and Wednesday will be incredibly reluctant to lose him.

Given his development under Rohl so far, you would expect Musaba to improve further under the German’s guidance next season, so the Owls must resist any temptation to cash in on him this summer, as they could potentially sell him for a much bigger fee in the future.

After a lengthy transfer pursuit, winger Mallik Wilks finally made the move to Hillsborough from Hull City in August 2022.

Wilks starred for the Tigers as they won the League One title in the 2020-21 season, so much was expected of him in a Wednesday shirt, but he endured an injury-disrupted first season at the club, scoring two goals and registering five assists in 26 games.

The 25-year-old continued to be plagued by injury this campaign, and he netted just one goal in 18 appearances in all competitions.

Most of Wilks’ minutes this season came as a substitute, with the likes of Musaba and Djeidi Gassama keeping him out of the team, but he failed to take his chance whenever given an opportunity, and there are huge question marks over his long-term future at the club.

Wilks has proven himself to be a quality performer at League One level previously, so he could be the subject of third tier interest this summer and if they receive a suitable offer, the Owls should allow him to depart.

Wednesday supporters had long been calling for Bailey Cadamarteri to be given a chance in the first team, and they got their wish this season, with the striker making his league debut for the club as a substitute against Millwall in November.

Cadamarteri showed excellent potential in the academy, but few could have predicted the impact he would make at senior level, with the 19-year-old scoring three goals in four games at the start of December.

The striker’s performances were crucial in the early stages of the revival under Rohl but his game time became a little more limited after the arrival of Ugbo on loan from Troyes in January.

Cadamarteri remained a useful option for the Owls in the second half of the season and he ended the campaign with five goals and one assist in 25 appearances in all competitions – an impressive return for his first year in senior football.

After Cadamarteri put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Hillsborough in December, Wednesday do not have to worry about losing him to a Premier League club this summer but he could attract plenty of loan interest.

Whether Cadamarteri is allowed to depart on loan will depend on the Owls’ summer transfer business and if he does make a temporary move, it must be to a League One club, but there is no doubt that a spell away playing regular football could be hugely beneficial for his development.